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Check your scores against the charts below.
If your scores are high, the Healthnuts recommend:
Source Naturals Essential Enzymes
along with other dietary changes and supplements below.
Part A: Hypoacidity
Part B: Small Intestine/Exocrine/Pancreas
Part C: Gastric Dysfunction
Part D: Colon
Please note: Our experts' answers are not intended to treat or diagnose any health condition or to serve as a substitute for the advice of a medical practitioner.
Part A: Hypoacidity
| 9 - 15+ |
High Priority |
| 5 - 8 |
Moderate Priority |
| 1 - 4 |
Low Priority
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If you scored anywhere between 5 (Moderate) and 15+ (High) you may consider trying to improve the pH of your body.
Acidity and Alkalinity are measured on the pH (potential of Hydrogen) scale. Water (pH 7.0) is neutral. Anything below 7.0 is acid and anything above 7.0 is alkaline. The ideal pH of the body is between 6.0 - 6.8.
To definitely determine if you are too alkaline or too acid, purchase pH paper at the drugstore. Apply saliva or urine to the paper. The paper will change color to indicate if system is overly acidic or alkaline. Red paper turns blue in alkaline and blue turns red in acid. Always do the test either before eating or at least 1 hour after eating.
Foods you can eat if you're over-acid—these are alkaline-forming foods:
- avocados
- corn
- dates
- fresh coconut
- fresh fruits
- fresh vegetables
- honey
- maple syrup
- molasses
- raisins
- soy products
Foods you can eat if you're too alkaline—these are acid-forming foods:
- asparagus
- beans
- Brussels sprouts
- catsup
- chickpeas
- cocoa
- coffee
- cornstarch
- cranberries
- eggs
- fish
- flour and flour-based products
- legumes
- lentils
- meat
- milk
- mustard
- noodles
- oatmeal
- olives
- organ meats
- pasta
- pepper
- plums
- poultry
- prunes
- sauerkraut
- shellfish
- soft drinks
- sugar
- tea
- vinegar
Aspirin and tobacco are also acid-forming.
- Betaine hydrochloride (HCI) is a digestive enzyme that releases acid in the digestive tract.
- Alfalfa is very beneficial for the digestive tract.
- Sulfur is an acid-forming mineral and helps to correct pH balance.
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Part B: Small Intestine/Exocrine/Pancreas
| 12 - 15+ |
High Priority |
| 5 - 11 |
Moderate Priority |
| 1 - 4 |
Low Priority
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If you scored anywhere between 5 (Moderate) and 15+ (High), you may want to consider taking a look at your digestive system and doing something to improve it. It is very important because without a well-operating system you could be lacking some of the nutrients you need that are absorbed through the intestine.
The small intestine is the major site of digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. The pancreas manufactures enzymes to digest food. The major carbohydrate-digesting enzyme, pancreatic amylase, enters the intestine by the pancreatic duct.
These are some of the causes of gastric disorders:
- Food allergies—common ones are wheat, milk and dairy products
- Parasites
- Stress
- Leaky gut syndrome
- High/low hydrochloric acid
Things you can do to help improve digestion:
- Eat a whole foods diet high in fiber, extremely low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates instead of simple ones.
- Ginger, the herb, aids in digestion.
- Peppermint aids digestion, relieves diarrhea, gas and heartburn, and relieves nausea.
- Take pancreatic enzymes - 10x strength that contain amylase to break down starches, lipase for the digestion of fats, and proteases to break down the protein.
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Part C: Gastric Dysfunction
| 9 - 15+ |
High Priority |
| 4 - 8 |
Moderate Priority |
| 1 - 3 |
Low Priority
|
If you scored anywhere between 4 (Moderate) and 15+ (High) you may consider the following information.
Stomach dysfunction could be caused by inflammation or by a disruption of the stomach lining by bacteria.
You can try the following suggestions:
- Eliminate dairy products until the digestive tract is healed
- Milk greatly increases stomach acid production, which you don't want right now
- Slippery elm soothes the entire tract - try 500mg 3 times a day
- Probiotics replenish intestinal bacteria
- Deglycyrrhizinated licorice, 350 - 600mg twenty to thirty minutes before each meal. Licorice, if not deglycyrrhizinated, can cause blood pressure to rise.
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| 9 - 15+ |
High Priority |
| 5 - 8 |
Moderate Priority |
| 1 - 4 |
Low Priority
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If you scored anywhere between 5 (Moderate) and 15+ (High) you may consider trying to improve the health of your colon.
The colon consists of the large intestine, rectum and anus. It is a key part of the gastrointestinal system. When the colon is not functioning properly, toxins can build up in lymph system, bloodstream and intestines. Bowel toxemia and improper digestion can cause a buildup in the intestines of bacteria, viruses and gases that become dangerous to the body.
When toxic matter and undigested food collected in the intestines are absorbed from bowels into the bloodstream, this is known as "Leaky Gut Syndrome." These undigested particles of food can provoke an immune response. Antibodies produced to fight can destroy healthy tissues and can lead to Rheumatoid Arthritis and other diseases such as thyroid disease and Myasthenia Gravis. Also, toxins can burden the liver, circulatory system, lymph system, lungs and kidneys.
Symptoms of too much debris getting absorbed are:
- Mental confusion
- Depression
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Gastrointestinal irregularities
- Allergic reactions—hives, sneezing and coughing
Things you can do to improve the colon health are:
- Take acidophilus to restore the friendly bacteria in colon
- Drink Aloe Vera juice 1/2 cup 3 times a day to heal colon inflammation
- Apple pectin helps to detoxify heavy metals
- Increase fiber such as oat bran and/or ground flax seeds and drink plenty of water
- Peppermint helps to restore acid/alkaline balance of the colon and promotes healing
- Marshmallow restores the acid/alkaline balance of the colon and promotes healing. It also loosens and flushes mucus from the intestines
- Insufficient liquid intake promotes hard stools which can stay in the colon for weeks or even months. So drink plenty of water
- Avoid dairy products because they cause excess mucus in the colon
- Avoid saturated fat and sugar and highly processed foods.
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